Best brand of Soy Sauce?!
Best brand of Soy Sauce?
I'm investigating all things east Asian these days. The local Asian supermarket has an entire aisle of soy sauces.
Which ones are best?
I bought a bottle of Lee Kum Kee, which is more flavorful than the Kikkoman I'm used to tasting. Wikipedia says I should get one that has yeast (koji). As the bottles are often in Chinese, how can I tell if it has koji?
Help!
Answers:
You are right, there are many kind of Soy Sauce 'cos the Soy Sauce is a daily use seasoning for Chinese and Asia people.
Before we compare which Soy Sauce is the 'best brand' or 'more tasty', we have to know that they are produced at different place or countries. Example, Kikkoman is a Japanese brand of Soy Sauce and use in Shusi and other Japanese style of cooking. Lee Kum Kee is a Singapore brand of Soy Sauce that use widely in local Asia Chinese cooking (can't eat the famous Singapore chicken rice without it). In Singapore, there are many kind of Soy Sauce that use differently in different type of cooking, example light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce. Sweet Soy Sauce and many many more..... Even the brand Lee Kum Kee have wide range of production for cooking sauces.
If you read more about the Soy Sauce production, it is very interesting. Most of them (whether Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee) need yeast during the fermentation process. After fermented, product than need to under go an aging process for months or even years to produce the different favour. In Thailand or Vietnam, the local people like another kind of Soy Sauce, the 'Fish Sauce' which widely use in their cooking. The famous Vietnam Beef Noodle must eat or serve with the Fish sauce. In Malaysia, the Soy Sauce taste very much like Singapore style, Lee Kum Kee. But the favour has a stronger sweetness in it which is best for Chinese fried rice.
So... I will think the best brand of Soy Sauce is the one that fix well with the type of food or cooking that you are having.